Best Tent Camping near Evansville, WI

Recent Tent Reviews in Evansville

637 Reviews of 13 Evansville Campgrounds

• 

  Stuart K.

  Legend

  

  Nov. 13, 2024

  Northwoods RV Resort

  New Campground Scent Emanates From this Freshly Minted RV Outpost

  My first impression when I first arrived here was the overwhelming scent of a newly minted campground, what with the freshly laid gravel, the mint condition security gates, finely manicured and recently raked greenery (as it was October when we visited, it might be better described as brownery) surrounded by a fairly decent gated enclosure lined with perfectly pruned tall towering oaks. Upon arrival, you’ll find what looks to be a brand-spanking new log cabin office on the right after passing a seemingly freshly-minted activities center / community lodge complete with in-ground heated swimming pool and jacuzzi on the left.

  Amenities? As you could guess, this pet-friendly 60-acre RV resort has all the attractions in spades from pickleball, playgrounds, volleyball, log pergola patio, full hook-ups (30 / 50 amp electric, water & sewage), picnic tables, fire pits, BBQ grills, wagon rides, river access, picnic areas, bathhouses w/ showers & restrooms, cable TV WiFi (pretty poor connection though), gaga ball, game room, community room, billiards table, playground, wet bar, tabletop shuffleboard, community living room with large screen TV, DVD player w/ DVD library, clubhouse, dog park, horseshoes, hot tub, covered pavilions with picnic tables, catch & release ponds, inflatable water toys, jumping pillow, laundr-O-mat, propane refueling station and dump station.

  Insider’s tips? Here’s a handful: (1) This place isn’t EZ to find – for some reason, if you plug the campground into your GPS, you’ll literally be on the wrong side of the tracks, where you will arrive at a dead end with a sign that says you are in the wrong place and that you’ll need to double-back, cross the train tracks heading north and turn right just before arriving to High Road School of Belvidere (so if you see a school, you’ve gone too far); (2) You will want to take note that yes, you actually cross train tracks to get to this campground, so if you’re sharp, you’re going to want to ensure you haven’t booked a site right next to where trains will shoot through every few hours, this specifically means avoiding sites #E1-#E5 and #FS23-#FS36 as well as #FE1-#FE20; (3) If you’re a tent camper, you can certainly stay here, but you will want to note that this is very much an RV outpost; (4) The best sites IMHO are those on the northernmost perimeter, as far away from the train tracks as you can get and that also border the Kishwaukee River with sites #S9-#S20 being excellent, as well as #S25-#S81, which are equally amazing; (5) If you are planning on using that amazing pool that you saw as you came in, make sure you call management a good day or two before you come in to ensure that they turn on the heater – when we were there for 2 days, by the time we left, the pool was still too cold to go for a dip; and (6) When you grow weary of trying to conjure up a meal from the depths of your Cordova roto-molded cooler and want to venture out to try some local fare, just a short walk into the nearby town is Garden Prairie Café, which has a very simple menu offering no shortage of fried everything (fish, shrimp, chicken, etc.) and then there’s Pleasant Street Tavern, but that’s mostly cheap national beers and frozen pizza fare, so if you want something a bit more substantive, head west of here to Miles Bar N’ Grill that serves up typical Midwestern fare like cheese curds, pork tenderloin, Italian beef and a variety of fried fish like blue gill, cod and catfish.

  Happy Camping!

• 

  Linda N.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 16, 2024

  Milton-Madison SE KOA

  cant wait to go back

  I ended up here because I was going to a music festival in the area, and they turned me away because I have a service animal. I wasn't going to do all that work for nothing and just go home, so I decided to look up my nearest campground and it was KOA in Milton. they made me feel welcome. they understood my dilemma. it was a wonderful weekend. lots of amenities and I just absolutely can't wait to go back next year. I'm going to try to make it a couple times. so much fun, just me and my dog. And one last the thing, my fellow campers were more than hospitable and very nice and I appreciate that very much.

• 

  Linda N.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 16, 2024

  Sweet Minnihaha Campground

  music fest

  I originally went to this campground a couple years ago for a music festival, but I discovered how much fun it was. the people were incredible. the staff was really awesome so I continue to make it back at least once a year

• A

  Alexandria P.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 11, 2024

  Big Foot Beach State Park Campground

  A bit deceptive

  So this place is much less dog friendly than is advertised. Dogs aren’t allowed in large swaths of the park nor on the (tiny tiny, bordered by loud highway) beach. Lake Geneva is very pretty, but the area is obviously very wealthy and obviously geared toward retirees without dogs or with tiny dogs they leave at the RV (to bark, constantly, at their next site neighbors. Until the owners get back.)

• 

  Abbe W.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 10, 2024

  Mukwonago Park by Waukesha County Parks

  Prairie Grass and Wildflowers

  Sites are large and well spaced out. The campground is clean and well kept. The rangers drive through regularly and will deliver wood to your site if requested. There are pit toilets in the camp area, but there are flush toilets, running water, and showers in the picnic area near the entrance. There are a couple of hiking trails as well. Great landscape and wildlife. We were lucky enough to have a couple of Sandhill Cranes walk through our camp early one morning.

• 

  Abbe W.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 10, 2024

  Whitewater Lake — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit

  Nice Campground, Great Location for Hiking the Ice Age Trail

  The campground was clean and quiet. We were in the East Loop. The on-site host was super friendly and helpful with firewood and ice. Pit toilets, no showers. Easy access to Ice Age Trail from the campground. Nice hike to Rice Lake.

• S

  Sarah C.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 15, 2024

  Creekview RV Park

  Very close to i90

  Passing through and needed an accesible camping spot for our 19 foot travel trailer. Creekview fit the bill. Right off i90, and next to fuel and food stops. Family run campground with 40 sites that have water and electric. They are cash or check only, with no online booking. Sites are snug. Decent cell service. Other than highway noise peaceful spot. Dogs welcome!

• 

  Jaime P.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 9, 2024

  Badgerland Campground

  Great little campground

  We booked a weekend here for a soccer tournament we had in Verona, so we didn’t spend a lot of time on the property. The staff was amazing! Very friendly and helpful for us new to camping people. We booked online and they were also friendly when I messed up my reservation so thanks for that too. We booked in VIP 1, which is right next to the bath house. We wanted to be close to the showers (coin op). We figured since we’re at a sporting event that might be nice. Very quiet at night. We did have a little time to go fishing at the fishing pond. We didn’t catch anything but we had fun. The fishing pond is a ways from our camping area though. It would have been a long walk so we drove. WiFi is for a fee but it was fine. The fee wasn’t expensive (less than $5). No sewer hook up but there is a dump site so no big deal. Overall good stay.

• 

  Kenny P.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 7, 2024

  Thomas Woods Campground

  Great place for secluded camping

  Camped here on a whim. Amazing area. Super friendly hosts. The only thing I wish was a little more accessible is the website. I didn't know what kind of site I was getting, what it looked like, or if it was a hike in site or not. Turns out mine was, but it was not an issue for me on this trip. Site 30 for anyone interested.

• S

  Susan C.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 25, 2024

  Holiday Acres Camping Resort

  Beware

  Review: Holiday Acres Campground Our recent stay at Holiday Acres Campground was nothing short of a nightmare. From the moment we arrived, we felt unwelcome and targeted by both the staff and the locals. It's hard to say definitively if this place was racist, but the behavior we experienced certainly felt that way. Firstly, we were harassed and intimidated by the locals. They would drive around our campsite at night, yelling racial slurs and other offensive comments. This created a disturbing and unsettling atmosphere that made our stay extremely uncomfortable. The staff were equally unpleasant. We were falsely accused of peeing in the pool without any evidence, which seemed more like an excuse to target us than a genuine concern. Additionally, one staff member consistently displayed unprofessional and rude behavior. She berated one of us and treated him condescendingly, as if he were a boy rather than an adult. She exhibited this condescending behavior with the locals as well. Requests for assistance were met with eye rolls and obvious reluctance. Her dismissive and offensive attitude was consistent throughout our stay. The final straw came when we were kicked out for calling her a name after she persistently treated us with disrespect. While name-calling isn't appropriate, her behavior towards us was intolerable and unprovoked. The facilities were also abysmal. The bathrooms constantly smelled like fart, possibly due to the high sulfur content in the water, which only added to the overall negative experience. The showers were yellow with orange bits that could be scraped off, and the lack of cleanliness was appalling. The playgrounds looked so poorly maintained that you could get a splinter just from looking at them. To make matters worse, we were falsely accused of stealing by a local camper. Despite promises to review security footage, no evidence was provided, and no apology was offered for the false accusation. The pool area was another disappointment. The pool was cold, likely because it had just been filled. While the pool area itself was nice, it lacked lounging chairs, which would have enhanced comfort and relaxation. Overall, our experience at Holiday Acres Campground was horrific. The combination of harassment from locals, the hostile attitude of the staff, the filthy facilities, and the lack of amenities made for an extremely uncomfortable and distressing stay. I would strongly advise anyone considering this campground to stay far away, especially if you are looking for a welcoming and respectful environment.

• 

  Jenna R.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 11, 2024

  Blue Mound State Park Campground

  Great for families

  Lots of playgrounds for kids age 2-10. Pit toilets smell- I’d avoid sites around them. Hot Showers by lot 30 and at pool. Pool is not heated as stated- definitely not 80 degrees. West tower is the best for sunsets. Site 75 was nice as it was a bit back from the road and you can’t see your neighbors.

• 

  Erin Z.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 4, 2024

  Governor Dodge State Park Backpack Campsites — Governor Dodge State Park

  We will be back!!!

  Great backpack base camp! Great views, plenty of privacy and an easy hike. We stayed at 806.

• 

  Renee R.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 29, 2024

  Brigham Park

  Nice spot for summer camping.

  I've visited this campground twice and it's been a hit both times.

  Pros:

  - Scenic overlook is gorgeous.

  - The dense tree cover and near-constant slight breeze help to both keep this campground cool and the mosquitos at bay.

  - Well-kept vault toilets.

  - Close to a many points of interest.

  Cons:

  - Some of the sites are strangely graded and situated.  One site near ours had the fire pit at the very edge, making sitting around it virtually impossible.  14 was a pretty site but had a large tree in the middle of it.

  - Using the County website to reserve the site was clunky and time consuming.

• 

  Renee R.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 29, 2024

  Tower Hill State Park Campground

  Cool spot, underwhelming experience.

  I have stayed at this campground three times in the last decade or so.

  Pros:

  - Excellent location if you're looking to recreate on the Wisconsin River or visit the American Players Theater across the way.  

  - Interesting history about the Shot Tower on site.

  - Nice little hiking trails.

  Cons:

  - Every time I've visited we've dealt with lots of mosquitos, but nothing comes close to our most recent visit!  It was a mosquito massacre.  So terrible that after coating ourselves in DEET and eating dinner there the first night, we actually booked another campsite about a half hour away (Brigham County Park - a gem!) and abandoned this site altogether.  

  - Vault toilets were fragrant.

• 

  Christie B.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 29, 2024

  Blackhawk Memorial Park

  Peaceful and serene!

  Quiet , off the grid! Very pleasant !

• 

  Alex A.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 22, 2024

  Toms Campground

  Great, friendly, affordable, convenient

  We needed a place after visiting the House on the Rock and couldn't find anything with hookups nearby. We stumbled upon Tom's Campground hoping to find a site. We pulled in and Tom met us at our camper as soon as we got to the top of the hill and before we even got out. He was very friendly and informative. Showers were good enough but we aren't picky, 7 minutes for $0.25. The area was beautiful.

• 

  Erin Z.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 22, 2024

  KMSF Shelter 1 Backpack Site

  Remote backpacking Shelter 1

  Great backpack camp site. Decent walk and terrain to get to the site. There is an open shelter to put your tent if you prefer to outside. There is a fire pit, but we found our own wood around the site. (Bring a small axe). There is an outhouse, but I wouldn’t recommend using it. There is a picnic table and a bench. It’s very secluded for privacy :) we will definitely be back.

• 

  Erin Z.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 21, 2024

  Ottawa Lake Campground — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit

  Great Family Campground!

  Site was spacious but very close to your neighbors. Lots to do in the area. Bathrooms and showers were clean. The beach was not clean and very hard to walk on, very rocky. Electricity on site and water near by. Great trails close by.

• 

  Sarah B.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 19, 2024

  Yellowstone Lake State Park Campground

  Def do not recommend for summer 2024!

  I wanted so badly to love this campground experience, but just didn't. Site 19 was an easy walk-in that theoretically had nearby vault toilets, parking, and water.

  Each site only had space for one car to park before walking in. Not a huge deal, but annoying as there were 2 of us who drove separate and we had to problem solve. When we got to the site I was shocked to see that what was labeled as a tent site had literally NO flat space to actually set up a tent. Spacious site, but fully sloped.

  Also, what I would have loved to know, is that the vault toilets are closed because they are doing construction to build something new in that space. Construction that starts loudly each day at 7am. Honestly every site from about #35 down was affected by the noise because the construction is happening in the middle of the loop (and actually blocking some of the one-way road as well).

  The park in general was okay. Per the usual, the pet areas were lacking. No beach at all, just grass covered in goose poop and one cut out on the raised shore between tall grasses and foliage where a dog could potentially jump in. Certainly nowhere for a human to enjoy the water with their pups unfortunately.

• 

  Abbe W.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 16, 2024

  Pinewoods Campground — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit

  Lovely Pine Forest, Quiet, Clean Campground

  Stayed one night (Friday) and really enjoyed the location. We were in the quiet loop, Loop 1, which actually was very quiet. Everyone was respectful of the rules. We did walk over to the other loops where there was more of a party atmosphere at some sites with larger groups, music, and kids. 

  The sites in Loop 1 are varied as far as tree coverage, seclusion, and terrain.  Our site (22) was relatively flat, felt secluded, had good tree coverage with some filtered sunlight. The pit toilets are about 3 sites away, a short walk. There is room for two tents.

  There was a posting about black bear sightings in the area. We did not experience that, just chipmunks and birds.

• 

  Jarrett G.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 15, 2024

  New Glarus State Park Campground

  Cramped

  Handful of sites, not very level. Lots of bugs, had raccoons fighting outside my tent. Was right across from the New Glarus brewery.

• 

  Christie B.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 10, 2024

  Green County Fairgrounds

  Ok but you have to work around the events going on because you have to leave when they are going on!

  Nice quiet place no neighbors usually bothering you showers and toilets could be better but overall ok

• J

  Julia H.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 2, 2024

  Madison Campground

  Cute campground - near Madison

  We were in Site# B1. We had Full hook- up with a gravel pull-thru. We travel towing a 14 foot trailer and were able to fit both in our pull through site. My jeep though did not fit. The site was easy to level.

  Our site was shaded with lots of trees. This was a larger sized lot with our neighbors not too close (but we did choose a premium site with a patio and paid extra to be on the end).

  This specific lot comes with a concrete patio The lot comes with a picnic table and fire hole in the ground.

  They have a community Outdoor kitchen-y area with picnic tables.
  They do not provide garbage service at your site so you must walk to garbage dumpster.

  You are allowed to ride personal golf carts. There is really not a need to have a Golf cart because it is a smaller campground.

  They do have a Swimming pool.
  There is a Playground. They also offer horseshoes and a volleyball court.

  They have a great general store.

  The streets are gravel so not great for riding bikes but there are great places to ride bikes outside of campground, especially around Middleton and Madison.

  They have cabins for rent and tent areas.

  They have one shower house. The shower house has the typical stalls. These are kept mostly clean.

  There is a laundry facility. It is a cash only facility, but they have a change machine.

  They have a fenced in dog park and many grassy areas to walk dogs.

  There were no trails to hike in the campground.

  Some fun things to do outside of the campground are the Saturday Farmer’s Market in Madison and multitude of bike trails.

• 

  Rebecca C.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 30, 2024

  Rock Cut State Park Campground

  Not well maintained

  We have a 30 amp trailer. When we got there, the electricity wasn't working. It was 93° on a Saturday. We called the Rangers and asked them to look at our site breaker since it kept tripping. They came, told us the park was old and not updated but then ultimately told us it was our trailer. We had to rent a motel for the night because we couldn't even pull out the slide or anything. This was after spending about 6 hours pulling apart all the electrical in the trailer. Went to camping world the next day just for us to use their plugs and it was fine. We thought maybe it was our cord so we bought a new one and still nothing. We called the Rangers again who came to look at it. Told us that the park was just so old that it probably couldn't keep up and moved us to a 50 amp sight. The 30 amp plug there would work for about 2 mins and then would keep tripping again. So we ended up having to go back to camping world to get an adapter to use the 50 amp. Wasted about 30 hours of our trip over their electrical not being updated and they knew that. Tried to reach out to get the first night reimbursed since we literally couldn't even stay there or use our trailer. Was told we had to come back the next day to speak to the head ranger, came back and he wasn't there again. Was told he would call us two different times and never got a call. Will never stay here again.

• 

  James

  Scout

  

  Jun. 26, 2024

  Cedar Hills Campground

  Cedar Hills Campground

  They have RV for sale or rent, large lots start at $2495 to $3495 for the yr.

• t

  tony K.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 23, 2024

  Madison Campground

  Basic

  While the location is great for fast travels into Madison, or getting to great hiking areas. My only complaint is that not every pull through is provided with a fire ring to burn wood (they almost seem random) and that the check in building is a bit bare. Otherwise, great location, great (partial) amenities, and good customer service.

• 

  Danielle D.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 22, 2024

  Northwoods RV Resort

  Great for seasonal camping

  The sites are pretty big. The campground is not congested at all. The people are very nice. Everyone waves to everyone.

  We came here because they showed a water obstacle course on their website. When we got here, we were informed that their beach hasn't passed health tests for the past few years. So no obstacle course or beach area.

  The pool is very clean and the staff helped us pick a better site upon arrival. They also have a very pretty river to fish.

  There is no store. The only thing available is firewood. If you need anything at all, there is a Walmart about ten minutes down the road.

  The site is nice and grassy but there are a ton of bugs; mostly gnats.

  All in all, it's a very clean place with great people. The pool is wonderful. The parks are great. But it's definitely a more lay back and relax kind of place. Not a ton of stuff to do for kids.